Mon, 16 Feb 2026

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 Royal Mail letters sit undelivered 'for weeks' as parcels prioritised, staff say

Staff and customers tell the BBC prioritising parcels can mean missed NHS appointments and late payment fines.
Over a dozen postal workers from different delivery offices claim that daily rounds are being missed, with parcels taking priority over letters due to lack of vans and staffing issues. Staff describe chaotic scenes at depots, where mail is often left untouched for days or weeks. The Communication Workers Union describes Royal Mail as "a company in crisis". Royal Mail blames adverse weather and higher rates of staff illness for service delays affecting more than 100 UK postcodes.
*Many customers have reported delayed mail, including missed hospital appointments, school certificates, and bank statements. Staff claim that parcels are given priority due to their high value and the need to meet delivery targets. Royal Mail says it is working to resolve issues as quickly as possible by putting in extra support and reviewing performance daily.
*The regulator Ofcom has fined Royal Mail £37m in recent years for poor letter delivery performance.
*Staff say overtime has been restricted to next to nothing since January, while some rounds are not being delivered for weeks due to staff absences on annual leave.
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